Broncos Current QB Situation
Read Time:5 Minute, 21 Second
Broncos Recent Past QB Situations
The Denver Broncos have been stuck in a perpetual loop of, “what is the long term solution at QB” since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2015. Many fans were on the Brock Osweiler train and he left Denver for a similar contract in Houston, where he was unsuccessful and eventually out of the league a few years later. Since Peyton and Osweiler played and won a Super Bowl in 2015, the Broncos have honestly kicked the tires on every QB with availability except the ones that would go on to be successful…
Carson Wentz, Matthew Stafford, Phillip Rivers, Jimmy Garoppolo have all changed teams recently and have been mostly successful when healthy. The Denver Broncos during those times elected for Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, and Teddy Bridgewater, and thus showing why the fans have had such a bad five year stretch.
In 2019 the Denver Broncos were forecast to select Drew Lock at pick 10 in the draft, as they were a QB needy team and he was seen as a first round talent that could be the Denver project for the future. The Broncos would end up trading from pick 10 back to pick 20 with the Steelers and at pick 20, Drew Lock would still be on the board! To many peoples surprise, the Broncos selected Noah Fant at pick 20, leaving Drew Lock on the board. The Denver Broncos next draft selection would be at pick 41, where they would again pass on Drew Lock despite him still being available, favoring offensive lineman Dalton Risner.
The Broncos would then wheel and deal for the second time in the first two rounds, to move up to the next pick, and select Drew Lock with the 42nd pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Securing a stud TE, a Colorado local talent at OG, and a potential franchise QB in the first two rounds was an absolute gold mine, from a fan’s perspective. Fast-forward three seasons and Drew Lock would play five games his rookie year. Experience coaching turnover, Covid-19, and injury issues his second season, and ultimately lose his starting role to newcomer and safe bet Teddy Bridgewater for 2021.
Denver Broncos Today
Now, sitting at 7-8, in last place in the AFC West with two weeks left to play, the Broncos are again facing the awful dilemma who starts this week, who will be here next season, and what does the future at quarterback look like for the franchise? The Broncos playoff hopes aren’t dead mathematically, but they need to win out and they need lots of help requiring specific winners in 10 other games.
Drew got his first start of 2021, against the Raiders last week, after Teddy Bridgewater was injured the week before and rushed to the hospital to evaluate head trauma and concussion concerns. Drew played fine, but the offense was absolutely terrible. Picking up only eight first downs. going one for ten on third downs, rushing for only 18 total yards, dropping four passes, conjuring only 13 points seven of which came from a Bradley Chubb interception that placed the ball at the one yard line. Obviously not the offensive powerhouse that wins games, made equally embarrassing considering the defense held the Raiders to 17 points and forced three turnovers.
With Teddy still in concussion protocols, it seems obvious that Drew Lock will start again this week versus the LA Chargers in LA. I would argue, that even if Teddy were healthy, this game should go to Drew Lock, but that doesn’t seem to be the stance of the coaching staff. Teddy is an UFA after this season, his salary cap hit, in order to keep him as a Denver Bronco, is looking to be $20-25 million based on reports out of the Broncos facility and other media outlets. My opinion, along with most of the fan base, is that that figure is insane for a quarterback that couldn’t muster an above .500 record with the number one scoring defense in the NFL.
Quarterback Beyond 2021?
Today, what that means, is that Drew Lock will be under contract for 2022 and should be given the keys to the final two games of the season to see what he can do. Drew hasn’t been outstanding, he’s been one to turn the ball over more often then we care to see as fans, but, he’s also only 25, he’s got undeniable arm talent, he’s under contract and will certainly be in a Denver uniform next season, and many in the Denver fan base believe he hasn’t been given a fair chance to develop or grow as a young project QB. For the rest of 2021, we know what Teddy Bridgewater is and what he brings, and many believe he wont be back next year. With playoffs simply out of the hands of the team, the risk is basically zero to switch to Drew as the starter.
The potential payoff is that we leave 2021 either saying Drew Lock is a backup QB at best, we are still quarterback needy. Or leave 2021 saying, dang, Drew Lock over those last three weeks really showed that he has taken some big leaps and put some film out there to give the coaching staff confidence in his ability to be the guy. Both of those outcomes are better than uncertainty, and with the only thing we agree on as a fan base being that Teddy is not worth $25 million a season, this makes the most sense.
Let’s see if the offense can come out firing and outduel the Chargers on their home field, where they need to win to continue their more likely run to the playoffs. Perhaps Drew Lock can again go turnover free and provide fans with proof one way or another that he belongs in Denver. Maybe the running game can get back on track and help the offense be more successful. Let’s see if the stars align and the Broncos can go 2-0 and get all the other desired outcomes so that we are above .500 for the first time in six years, and make a playoff push.
In my next article I’ll talk about the potential quarterback situation following the 2021 season, but for now let’s stay focused on the now and the 2021 season, since playoffs are still possible. Stay respectful Broncos Country!
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Average Rating